A short while ago, police officers apprehended a group of public and political figures gathered near the police station, including Arsen Babayan and Artur Danielyan.
First, the police officers gave the citizens three minutes to stop their protest. The citizens refused to leave, after which the police started apprehending them.
Police had apprehended four lawyers who were protesting in front of the National Assembly, and demanding to permit the holding of peaceful rallies in a state of emergency.
As the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reported from the scene, these persons are Ruben Melikyan, Robert Hayrapetyan, Armen Galstyan, and Babken Harutyunyan.
These lawyers were standing at a social distance from each other, holding—in their words—”solitary actions,” emphasizing that they do not violate any restrictions imposed by the Commandant of the state of emergency.
However, the police claimed that this action of theirs was a violation of the ban on rallies, and if the demonstrators did not stop it, they would be detained.
The National Assembly is currently debating on the government’s decision to extend the state of emergency in Armenia for another month.
The aforesaid lawyers are urging the MPs to demand, during the debates, that the restrictions on rallies be lifted.
A state of emergency has been declared in Armenia since March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. And according to the decision of the Commandant, all types of gatherings are prohibited during this period.
Tbilisi: How can Georgia help Armenia in the fight against the coronavirus?
Georgian health officials and ministers have stated that the country is ready to help neighbouring Armenia in the fight against the coronavirus.
Armenia has already registered more than 14,000 cases of COVID-19.
Photo: coronavirus live update.
Head of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Amiran Gamkrelidze says that the NCDC has already, ‘verbally and officially,’ offered help to Armenia’s Disease Control Centre in carrying out testing.
Armenia is our neighbour country and we are ready to stand by them. We, the NCDC, are able to give them tests and carry out testing as well. It takes just four hours between Yerevan and Tbilisi and we are able to study 1,000 samples in 24 hours,” Gamkrelidze told TV Pirveli.
Gamkrelidze stated that Georgia’s Health Ministry and the Ministry of Economy are also ready to support Armenia in terms of treatment or transportation of infected individuals or providing the country with face masks.
- Georgia reoffers help to Armenia ‘at any time’ in fight against coronavirus
We are able to provide support [them] in all directions. It is up to Armenia to decide what kind of support is more beneficial for them as of now,” Gamkrelidze said.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry stated last week that the country is ready to help Armenia ‘at any time.’
Photo: coronavirus live update.
As of today 8,650 people are infected with COVID-19 in Armenia, while the figure stands at 119 in Georgia.
227 people have died of the coronavirus in Armenia and 13 in Georgia.
Armenia Investigative Committee chief on case against ex-Football Federation president
Armenia takes 81st place in international rating on safety and risk assessment during COVID-19
Azerbaijan re-arrests opposition activists detained for ‘quarantine violation’
by OC Media 1 June 2020 Three members of the opposition Popular Front Party who were earlier detained on quarantine violations charges have been re-arrested. Ruslan Amirov, a bodyguard for Popular Front Party leader Ali Karimli, was given 15 days of administrative detention on Friday on charges of petty hooliganism. Amirov was one of the first of dozens of opposition activists arrested during the quarantine regime in Azerbaijan. He was detained on 9 April on quarantine violation charges and released after a month. The Interior Ministry said that Amirov’s latest arrest was for trying to move from the city of Masalli in southern Azerbaijan to Baku, which is prohibited during the quarantine regime. ‘At the police station […] of the Baku-Alat-Astara highway, he, like everyone else, was required to submit a document. Ruslan Amirov refused to submit the document because he was not registered in Baku’, they stated. He is not the only activist from the party to be arrested for a second time in late May. Faig Amirli, an assistant to Karimli and editor-in-chief of the Azaldig newspaper was also detained for 15 days on 25 May on the same charges as Amirov. His wife, Lala Amirli, told Meydan TV that he went to the city of Sabirabad to visit his parents’ grave during Ramadan. She said that while at their home in Sabirabad, Amirli was called to the police station ‘to talk’ where he was arrested for petty hooliganism. Several prominent lawyers have labelled Amirli’s arrest ‘politically motivated’. Amirli was previously detained on 8 April near his house in Baku and given for 30 days administrative detention on quarantine violation charges. Another of Karimli’s bodyguards, Niyameddin Ahmadov, was charged on 18 May with ‘financing terrorism’. Ahmadov was detained on quarantine violation charges a month earlier and was scheduled to be released on 15 May. Ahmadov’s lawyer, Ahmad Farhadov, told BBC Azerbaijan on 18 May that he had been remanded in custody for four months. According to Farhadov, the charges state that Ahmadov had ‘criminal relations’ with Gabil Mammadov, a Germany-based vlogger known for his criticism of President Ilham Aliyev and his family. Mammadov has also been accused of financing terrorism. Ahmadov has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Popular Front Party said the arrests were part of ‘a vindictive, hateful policy’ by President Ilham Aliyev. ‘A crackdown on dissidents’ Since Azerbaijan imposed a nationwide quarantine regime on 24 March in response to the coronavirus, the Popular Front Party has reported the arrest of over 30 of their members. The Popular Front Party has repeatedly stated that Ahmadov was tortured in detention. In a statement on 27 May, Amnesty International called on the Azerbaijani government to ‘halt [their] crackdown on dissidents and incarceration of activists’ during the pandemic. ‘More than a dozen individuals, comprising activists, journalists and others who dared to criticize the authorities’ handling of the pandemic, have been detained and remanded in so-called administrative detention for periods ranging from 10 to 30 days on bogus charges including disobeying police orders or breaking the rules of lockdown’. They also called on the authorities to drop the new charges brought against Ahmadov and to release him immediately, ‘together with other activists serving administrative detentions on spurious politically motivated charges’.
Samvel Avanesyan appointed minister of labor, social affairs and housing of Artsakh
11:28,
STEPANAKERT, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. Samvel Avanesyan has been appointed minister of labor, social affairs and housing of the Republic of Artsakh.
The respective decree has been signed by President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan on May 27, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
European Court to deliver judgement on Gurgen Margaryan murder case
Tomorrow, on Tuesday, 26 May, an important judgment will be delivered on the case of two Armenian national against Azerbaijan and Hungary.
The case concerns the presidential pardon given to a convicted murderer and his release following his transfer from Hungary to Azerbaijan to serve the rest of his sentence.
The applicants are two Armenian nationals, Hayk Makuchyan and Samvel Minasyan, who is now deceased, who were born in 1975 and 1958 respectively.
Mr Minasyan’s widow and their two children are pursuing the case in his stead.
In 2004, Mr Makuchyan and Mr Minasyan’s nephew, Gurgen Margaryan, both members of the Armenian military, attended an English-language course in Budapest organised by the NATO-sponsored “Partnership for Peace” programme. The course included two participants from each of the former Soviet states, including Azerbaijan.
During the course, R.S., a member of the Azerbaijani military, murdered Mr Minasyan’s nephew while he was asleep by decapitating him with an axe. R.S. also tried to break into Mr Makuchyan’s room before being arrested by the Hungarian police.
R.S. was convicted of exceptionally cruel and premeditated murder and preparation of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hungarian courts, with a possibility of conditional release after 30 years. During the criminal proceedings R.S. showed no remorse, admitting that he had murdered Mr Minasyan’s nephew on account of his Armenian origin and because the Armenian participants in the course had provoked and mocked him.
In 2012, following a request by the Azerbaijani authorities, Ramil Safarov was transferred to Azerbaijan, in accordance with the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, to serve the rest of his sentence.
However, upon his arrival in Azerbaijan, R.S. was informed that he had received a presidential pardon and was released. He was also promoted to the rank of major at a public ceremony, granted a flat and paid eight years of salary arrears.
The applicants allege that Azerbaijan was responsible for substantive and procedural violations of Article 2 (right to life) of the European Convention on Human Rights because the attack had been carried out by an Azerbaijani military officer and because he had been granted a pardon which prevented the full enforcement of his sentence.
They complain that Hungary also violated Article 2 of the Convention by granting and executing the request for the officer’s transfer without obtaining adequate binding assurances that he would complete his prison sentence in Azerbaijan.
They further allege under Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) in conjunction with Article 2 that the attack was an ethnically motivated hate crime which the Azerbaijani Government had acknowledged and endorsed by granting the officer a presidential pardon and a promotion.
Lastly, the applicants complain that both Governments failed to disclose documents requested by them in the proceedings before the Strasbourg Court, in breach of Article 38 (obligation to furnish necessary facilities for examination of the case).
Ex-Ambassador: Pashinyan has entangled Armenia in international mafia system and is making money
Nikol Pashinyan isn’t even trying to do anything. He’s just filling his pockets. This is what ex-Ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican Mikayel Minasyan said in his video “End of Lies-4” posted on his Facebook page, News.am reported.
“Dear people, I’m sure you know that there have been attempts to reach an agreement with me and everyone, and this was 100% true because there are such people, and those people are much more in number than those who didn’t reach an agreement and went from being hated oligarchs to constructive and large owners. Understanding that he has been humiliated, Nikol Pashinyan has instructed prosecutors and investigators to frame a case of false delation against me,” he said, stating that a criminal case has been instituted in relation to his first video, but not the second video which concerned the contraband plane.
According to Minasyan, it turns out that Armenia can send a contraband plane and even a criminal case isn’t instituted in relation to this.
Minasyan also stated that Nikol Pashinyan has entangled Armenia in the international mafia system and is making money.
“It is based on the following scheme: Armenia imports diamonds from India through smuggling and takes them to two or three factories where those diamonds become ‘diamonds made in Armenia’. Here is the evidence: According to official statistics, in the first quarter of 2020, Armenia had more than 20,000,000,000 in diamonds, but to have that 20,000,000,000, the country needed to have 1,400 workers, but there are only 400 registered specialists. Therefore, this was impossible to do with 400 workers, and this is why Armenia needed to have big factories, which it doesn’t. There is only one figure-20,000,000,000 in diamonds and gold. This system was created and is managed by Nikol Pashinyan and his family, who have organized an international mafia system of import and export at the expense of Armenia’s international reputation,” he said.
At the end of the video, Mikayel Minasyan asks Nikol Pashinyan to try to do his ‘dark and loathsome’ family businesses at least within the borders of Armenia.
Armenian government considers launching cargo aviation
14:45,
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Government is focused on having cargo aviation in the country, PM Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook.
“The Armenian government is interested in this export option. To what extent is having cargo aviation economically beneficial and competitive? This question is being studied,” he said.
In addition to land exports, agricultural produce was being exported also on passenger aircraft, but flights have been suspended since March 19th due to the coronavirus.
On April 24, an exporting company leased a freight aircraft for the first time and exported 23 tons of agricultural products.
Then, two other special flights were organized which exported agricultural products to Russia.
One more plane is expected to export agricultural products to Russia in a few days.
Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
We proved that we can rise from ruins and create statehood – Artsakh President’s message
We proved that we can rise from ruins and create statehood – Artsakh President’s message
10:23, 9 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan issued a congratulatory message in connection with the Victory Day, the 28th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army and the Liberation of Shoushi.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press sservice of the Artsakh President’s Office, the address runs as follows:
“Dear compatriots,
Dear veterans of the Great Patriotic War and the Artsakh Liberation War,
Respected generals, officers and soldiers of the Defense Army,
On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and myself personally I extend the most heartfelt congratulations on the Victory day, the 28th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army and the Liberation of Shoushi.
Every single family celebrates this day, one of the most cherished holidays glorified by the courage and dedication of successive generations of the Armenian people.
For decades, we have been celebrating May 9 with utmost enthusiasm and triumph, honoring with deep respect our grandfathers and fathers who carved the Victory hand in hand with the peoples of the former Soviet Union.
They were ideals for us, paragons of heroism to follow their lead, take up arms and forge our share of victory, write our own chapter of history. And this chapter is heroic and glorious.
The formation of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army and the liberation of Shoushi tripled the thrill of the holiday becoming the greatest victory of Armenians worldwide, the victory of spirit, mind and arm of thousands of brave Armenians.
We have proved ourselves and the entire world that we can struggle to the last breath and defend the native soil, rise again from under debris and build a state in line with international norms and standards, a free, independent and democratic state.
Our young people – patriotic, literate, brave and dignified – will carry on the heroic traditions of our people. They are fully aware of the price of victory won by the blood of our ancestors and cherish it like the apple of eye.
Dear friends,
On this festive day we first and foremost commemorate all our heroes who gave their lives in the defense of the Homeland, and we bow to their everlasting memory.
It is our responsibility to translate their dreams and goals into reality and build a resilient, safe and developed country.
Long live our heroic Army!
Hats off to the devotees of our Homeland!
Honor and glory to the Armenian people!”